Revival
Author Note: If that vision that John saw at the end of the Fall of Five turns out to be true, I'm actually going to rage quit. Just a casual thought from your writer before you read this angst ridden twoe-shot in which it does. :P
"Sir," I say quietly as the humans trudge away from the ceremony. We have finished executing Six and Sam, I think, because I feel the drugs finally wearing off; at least I can't really remember it.
"Yes, my beautiful heir?" Setrakus purrs. I have grown used to his vague pedophilia and unrelenting obsession with me, but it still sickens me to think of it and makes me wonder if it will last any longer, now that I have lost everyone I ever cared about.
I look to the eight pendants around his neck and he chuckles. He was originally going to wear them as badges, but I asked him if I could have them to 'show my own honor'. He fulfills his promise now, lifting them off his enormous neck and setting them across my own. My heart jumps and I want to break and down in screaming and tears, but I can't. There are no more tears I can make, and it wouldn't do any good. It will never bring them or Lorien back. They all fought so hard and so bravely, and none of them deserved any of this. In the end, it was all in vain.
"Show those off proudly, my heir. They are but one of many races to conquer in the future." Setrakus is smirking as he dismounts from his throne. "I am going to the security base. Would you like to join me?"
"I'm just really tired," I tell him, and that's not a lie. "I'm going to go lay down for a while. I'll join you later for the feast."
"Very well." He reaches out and touches my cheek, then quickly turns back to his destination.
Once he's gone, I make my way back to my room. It's very elaborate and big; my entire family could fit in here comfortably if they were still alive. The numb feeling that I've truly lost it all overtakes me sharply as I sit down in front of my grand mirror, staring at my reflection. I am painfully thin, even more so than I was before. My dyed hair makes my skin look all that more pale, there are dark circles under my eyes, and I'm trembling under the weight of all of the Loric pendants. I'm not going to take them off, though. I'll never let them touch Setrakus's neck again, or let any of the soldiers touch them or even try and admire them. I'm not going to let them make that mockery of my friends.
"It's okay now," I whisper, taking John's pendant in one hand with Nine's, and Marina's and Eight's in the other one. "I won't let them hurt you anymore. I've got you."
...
We stay on Earth for a few weeks after the last ceremony. The Mogodorians have had a wonderful time instilling so much fear into the humans, Setrakus included, while I've been staying in my room and sketching monuments and posters as I'm told. The sharp numbness in my heart has not subsided, and I doubt it ever will, but it's better than the raw, tender feeling of true grief.
I'm making another Don't forget who's in control sign when there is a knock on my door. I stiffen on instinct but force myself to relax, turning around in the stool.
"Enter," I state blandly.
The traitor who truly began this all enters. He has grown to wearing the eyepatch where Marina completely destroyed his eye, though I'm not sure why when he could always just force one of the poor, helpless humans to donate. I turn away from him without another glance, focusing on the banner around the words instead. Despite the fact he's tried to reach out to me several times, I have not spoken or hardly looked at him since Marina's execution ceremony.
He typically just sighs, looking sad or deflated, and either looks away or leaves my room. Tonight, however, he sits on the edge of my bed. Setrakus has told me countless times to show anger and harshness toward those who don't please me, but I refuse. I won't even do it for someone as low as Number Five.
"Ella," he states. It has been so long since I've heard my own name that I flinch. "Sorry. Do you prefer 'Queen' or 'Oh Powerful One' instead?"
I almost long for there to be humor in the truly ridiculous things their race call me, but there is none. "Ella is fine. What do you want?"
He almost seems relieved when I speak to him. "Look. What I did was the worst thing I could have done. I know your...former friends could have used my help a lot. I betrayed them in the worst way. But there is nothing I can do that it now, even if I wanted to. Let's face it, Ella. You and I are the only one of them left alive, and you know it would be stupid to try and betray these guys. We're in the same boat here."
I truly meet his eyes for the first time since I was first brought here. His presence still sparks so much old hate and anger in me, and I hate that he has a point. He hate how right he is. That does not mean I have to accept his outreach, though. He is the only one I would have beaten or killed for crossing me, but I will not stoop to that level.
Instead, I simply say, "Get out of here."
"Ella..." He tries again, but I am not going to tolerate it.
"Get out on your own two feet or I will call some of my guards." My voice is so tight I'm positive it snap with one more word, but he sighs and exits swiftly.
...
The time we spent on Earth seemed like an eternity while we were there, though I am positive I am the only one who felt that way, but we are now on the ship to another neighboring galaxy. There are other planets with poor, collapsing communities waiting for the Mogodorians to easily conquer, and there is a lot of excitement in the ship I am in. I'm among the top generals and Setrakus, but I know that Five has been allowed here as well. Everyone among us has respect and admiration for him, as he was the one to kill both Adam and Nine, so he has almost as many privileges as I do. He seems to enjoy them, unlike how I have always truly felt.
He enters my quarters again here, but I give him the same response I did back on Earth. The bitter difference is that I didn't necessarily have to see him at every meal, but here, I do. All parts of my heart are dead now, but just seeing his face and knowing all of the things he did seem to rebreak the pieces every single time.
...
A ghost of a smile rests on the corners of my lips as the Mogodorians pour of the confines of the ships, eagerly rushing into the remains of their destroyed planet. We have a great deal of pledges that have joined the ranks by now, which Setrakus is especially pleased with, from the planets we either conquered and obliterated. I am allowing myself to daydream as I'm led to take a seat on one of the benches so I can watch the construction process begin immediately. One day, this could have been the other Loric and I, activating our Legacies to restart the environment and call back the Chimeria. This what I fantasize about in order to block out reality.
When a large wraps around my own, forcing me back, I flinch and jerk out on instinct, smacking them squarely in the face. Dread hits the base of my stomach for only a moment before I realize it's Five. I flinch again despite the lack of regret, but he doesn't even glare or grunt. All he does is continuing his hold on my other hand. I'm not willing to talk to him right now, so I tolerate it as I watch the Mogs clearing out rubble and beginning to sort into what can be used and what is too damaged.
"I can't read minds, and I don't have telepathy." His voice is low and gravely, suggesting he's got allergies from all of the dust and smoke. "But I think I know what you're thinking about."
I shift my eyes around the surrounding area, but everyone seems too busy to be listening in. "Oh?"
He nods once and speaks even more quietly. "You're thinking about Lorien. This is what you all wanted to get to, isn't it?"
I nod once myself. For the first time in months, a single tear streaks down on my cheek, and I don't cringe when he thumbs it away quickly. After all of this time, he finally understands. If it could have been sooner, maybe we could have had a chance at that have been a reality.
...
The nightmares have regressed. We've been on Mogadore for a couple of months and the construction has been coming along very nicely, and most of the new buildings have been designed by myself. I will never know what the soldiers and citizens truly think of my work, but I'm always met with eager enthusiasm and approval. It has gotten very old already, so I guess my brain decided to make things a little more interesting while I sleep.
Tonight, I wake up in tears. I am plagued by the images of John's lifeless face, staring endlessly into my eyes. His corpse was whispering, "Why, Ella? Why have you betrayed us?" With my hands shaking violently with the rest of my body I touch the pendants around my neck again, but even they feel cold.
Before I can try laying back down, there is a knock on my door. I get up fully now, stumbling to the handle while wiping my eyes furiously, hefting the currently metal doors open. Five is standing there in a tattered white t-shirt and loose-fitting gray shorts, both of which are a big change from his typical wardrobe. Then again, there is no telling what hour in the morning it is right now.
"Did I scream?" I ask hollowly as he slowly steps inside.
"No." He suddenly pushes the door free from my light grasp, shutting us both in here. "But you did last night."
I tense with the old instincts that I have not yet completely died. "Then why didn't you come then?"
"Because I knew the nightmares would continue into tonight. Besides, you subconsciously might have been expecting it then." He slowly takes another step toward my bed. "May I sit with you until you go back to sleep?"
It's an odd request, one that sets me on edge. "I don't plan on going back to sleep."
"May I still sit with you?" He offers, not seeming fazed by my words.
I want to kick him out as I usually do, but tonight, I'm frankly too tired and shaken. At least he came to check on me, which is more than I can say for any of the generals who 'adore' me, or even Setrakus lately. I just step aside and he takes his cue, seating himself on a chair at the side of my bed. I sit on the edge of said bed, taking my sketch pad off of the desk with a pencil while he stares at his feet.
We remain quiet like this the rest of the night, and the next night, it occurs again.
...
The nightmares have finally ceased, but his nightly visits have not. It has occurred to me it's almost creepy, but he has never made any sexual advancements or even said much. He is just acting like my only friend, and I am grateful for that. I've even started to enjoy it.
"You know, most Mogodorians don't wear white." I try to initiate conversation tonight as I work on a design/plan for a family of five. I have started taking requests from civilians as of late, as I don't have much else to do right now.
"I'm not a Mogodorian." He looks up and raises an eyebrow.
I sit up and close my sketch pad briefly. "Don't you consider yourself one? You can't consider yourself anything else."
"Neither can you, but you don't consider yourself one. Not even when you're the heir to the throne." He doesn't point this out unkindly, but it silences me.
I move to open back to the page, but he does something unexpected. Suddenly he's got the pad in his hands and he's flipping through the pages, looking fascinated. I almost get angry because he basically snatched it without permission when I still don't really trust him, but his expression stops me. Through the dim lighting outside, his expression is so surprised and full of genuine impression that I just move to stand beside him.
"Do you really like it?" I ask quietly. "And please don't shower me in praise. I get that enough during the day."
"Don't worry about that. I don't give unnecessary compliments." He shrugs, then looks up at me with a smile, which startles me. "But this really is good."
I've never seen Five smile like that, and there's something other than anger or indifference in his tone. It's almost like a longing, which sets me on edge again but also makes my numb heart warm very slightly.
"I can teach you how to draw if you'd like," I offer.
His eyes light up and I almost smile. "If you don't mind, yeah. I'd really like that."
I turn to a clean sheet a couple of pages back and hand him a pencil, pulling up a chair beside him.
...
I enter the throne room a little nervously, though I think I've gotten used to Setrakus for the most part by now. He's still massive and intimidating, but he won't always be around, and his violence towards me hasn't resurfaced since I finally had to agree to join their side. I stand in front of his throne now, feeling my inside recoil when he gives me a serene-looking smile.
"My beautiful heir," he muses. "You are sixteen now, correct?"
How ironic. I'm so 'precious' to him, but he can't even be certain on my age. "Yes sir."
"It has come time for you beginning to looking for someone to court. I will allow you to choose from the mix, but I have many recommendations for you." He leans back, looking quite pleased.
My stomach twists and vile begins to climb up my throat. There is no doubt that he'll want me to marry one of the generals or another higher up, but all of them are more than twice my age. I don't love anyone here and I know I never will, but what choice do I have?
Tonight I contemplate refusing. Even if he kills me, I'll probably end up with my friends, all of whom have been dead for a little more than a year now. At least, I hope I will. I probably don't deserve Heaven after all I've done despite being forced. I'm still complementing it when Five lets himself in- I told him some time ago to not ask for permission- and sits beside me. The worry must be written clearly on my face, because his small smile quickly shifts.
"He finally told you?" He guesses.
"Are you kidding me?" Resentment oozes into my words, but I don't really care right now. "He told you before he told me?"
"Well, he told a group of the higher ups. I heard it through the grape vine. If you came out of your room more, you'd have probably noticed all of the young soldiers trying to apply and win Setrakus over." He nudges me lightly with his shoulder and I offer a tiny smile.
"Has he been impressed with any of them yet?" I ask hopefully.
His sigh answers it better than any words could have. I drop my head in my hands and his hand instantly rests on my back. "I'm sorry, Ell. I really am. I wouldn't want to marry any forty year old creep either."
"At least you're not being forced too." I sigh. "Besides, at least you'd be able to marry someone closer to your age. All of you and your solders must be able to flirt with all kinds of girls all the time."
"Well, being a part of the army helps," he admits. "But most of the civilians are way underage or overage. The population is still regrowing, you know. Most of the girls are part of the army too, and most of them are either unattractive or taken. I don't really like anyone in particular right now, though, so I guess it doesn't matter."
He's lying, though. I can see it on his face by the way his face colors slightly and he looks down at his feet. I crack a small smile. "You don't have to embarrassed and try to hide it, Five. Who am I going to tell?"
"Still," he mutters.
I just place a hand on his back as well. "Do you think you could find their applications or something? He said he'd let me pick despite him having recommendations."
"Sure." He smiles weakly again and gives me a wink. "And I'll burn anyone that exceeds sixty."
I laugh, and it sounds like a long lost friend finally returning. Five may have been a traitor and killed my friends, but at least he's trying to be good.
...
He gives me a large folder two weeks after we first discussed me having the marriage, and I spend all night looking at it while he attends some kind of competition among the citizens. Most of them are older, but Five didn't break his promise in removing anybody older than sixty years old. I sort them into two piles: I Don't Want To and Never in a Million Years. Not surprisingly, my second stack is much higher up than the first.
I sigh sadly and slip back in the files, standing up. He told me where he got it so I could return it after I got done, before the dawn of course, so I guess it's time to get it back. I move quickly and silently down the hallway, shrinking into a younger age as a precaution. I reach it after about a minute of maneuvering the corridors and ducking my face from casual bypassing guards but find the door locked.
Dang it.
"Hey, little girl! What are you doing with that?" One of the guards barks, and my entire body goes stiff with fear.
I swiftly duck down my head and clutch the folder as he approaches. I haven't been spoken to so roughly in years, but it's still not any easier, especially when he's so enormous compared to my seven-year-old form. He snatches away my possession, and I give feel the glare boring into me.
"Get lost, kid, or-" He begins, but he doesn't have to finish. I turn on my heels and race back down the rest of the corridor's length, ducking behind the corner.
I listen as he grumbles about 'stupid kid' and 'brat', then the door opens. I shift into my normal age and let out a scream, then shrink back when I hear his rapid footfall in my direction. He rushes past without a second glance in my direction, and once he's gone, I dash into the room where he dropped it. I quickly place them on the desk and am about to exit when I notice a stray paper on the ground. Five or I must have dropped it, since there are a bunch of older men on the pile beside where I was told to place the folder.
When I pick it up, I only look at the picture before dropping it again. Five's mug shot is pinned over the square where it's supposed to be pasted, and when I shakily pick it up once more, I find all of the information filled in.
Because I'm not sure of when the guard will return, so I clutch the paper to my chest, shift into my normal age, and swiftly exit the room.
...
When I confronted Five about his file, it was awkward. He was completely embarrassed and so was I, so it didn't come back up until recently Setrakus was getting very impatient with my not having yet made a decision, and with my birthday being two weeks ago, he demanded an answer then. I was almost hysterical, but then I realized exactly who I needed to wed.
Now I'm standing on the top step in front of my throne, holding a paint brush in one hand with my other extended directly in front of me. Making the symbol of marriage together is the Mogodorian substitute for a bouquet, and instead of a white wedding, it is various shades of red. Most of Mogodare has come to the event, but the throne room alone can take the insane number of guests.
When he begins to walk to isle, I do smile, and it's not forced. We were more or less starting to date since about two months ago, so even though this isn't ideal, I don't mind like I would have if this had been a stranger. I still haven't found complete forgiveness or trust, but we need each other and I have finally embraced that. He's not a bad person at this point, which is a big relief.
I continue to face forward as told when the doors open again. His footfall is silent, just the rest of the room, and finally he is here. His hair has finally grown out a little long is slicked down now, and I can't imagine he likes that very much. I almost smile in his distaste, but the affection that's shining in his dark eyes converts it to one with my own fondness. Whether or not I liked it, we've been friends since the first time he came to my room, so this is almost fitting despite the circumstances.
The speech is full of the native tongue that I know vaguely and much shorter than the ones on Earth, but at least it's over with quickly. The silence is driving me crazy, anyway. It remains as we walk out holding hands, but when the doors close, I hear a great uproar, which is just as custom. Now we're supposed to return to my room to have our first intercourse, but the smirk that suddenly appears on his face suggests that's not what will happen.
"Five, we have too," I say quietly.
He snorts. "Ella, please. You're the heir and you just got married. You can do whatever the hell you want to."
A grin makes it's way across my own face. We soon find ourselves on the patio the highest up, still clutching each other's hands while the music floods up from the downstairs party and sun sets across from us. Eventually someone will come looking for us so we'll join in, (after our supposed intercourse,) but neither of us are going to be in a hurry.
"Thank you." His voice is quiet but full of sincerity.
"Why are you thanking me?" I ask. "You're the one who agreed to marry me."
"Yeah, but I wanted to. I admire you, Ell." He meets my eyes with a light blush.
I shrug weakly. "I don't know why. I'm just a kid who has happened to be lucky enough to survive her entire life, first on Lorien, then all the time on Earth, now here. I'm going to be a queen, even! My entire life is just stupid, undeserved luck."
"You deserve it." He shakes his head and slumps back in his chair. "You didn't betray our kind, not really. You didn't a choice and I think they all could have understood that. They would have forgive you. I'm just a selfish traitor who helped kill them."
He swallows thickly, sounding strained. Tears glisten in his eyes as he whispers, "I killed them all."
I can't deny most of that because it's true, and it will never stop hurting to thick about it. We both know I'll never be able to love him like I loved them. It's just not possible, but marriage, even forced, means a new beginning. Both of us have wanted that for a long time.
"I forgive you," I decide, squeezing his hand tightly.
The relief on his face is almost refreshing. The sun is mostly set by now, so I slowly stand up, and we go to face the people we one day rule together.
Author Note: Yes, this is still a two-shot despite the chapter being over 4,000 words long. :P The next chapter probably won't be quite so lengthy, and will focus on Ella/Five in the future. Probably around five years, so what would you guys like to see? I mean, I obviously have some things that will happen, but I'm curious.
And I've never actually seen the ship before, but it could work in situation as such. I hope you guys enjoyed it, please don't forget to review, and I'll try to update soon! (Reviews make that happen more quickly!)